Outside the barrier.
Tom, Warren, and Shane stared at the chaotic melee in the arena with varying expressions.
Alden tilted his small face upward, so nervous he didn't dare blink.
Cole patted Alden on the shoulder, his tone also somewhat solemn:
"Alden, don't worry. The Captain is very strong, he'll be fine."
Adele stood to the side, looking exceptionally anxious:
"My Lord, you must be safe!"
On the high platform, Rodney and the other merchants leaned forward, watching the arena intently.
"This Ser Don Quixote really does have some knightly spirit." A merchant observed Don Quixote as he easily dispatched another freelance knight:
"With his strength, if he were wearing a set of plate armor, the winner would have been decided long ago!"
...If Don Quixote had the Gold Dragons to host this expensive tourney, buying a full suit of plate armor would naturally be effortless.
Unlike many other freelance knights, who couldn't afford one even after a lifetime of work.
While the merchant was pondering this.
Rodney, standing beside him, nodded slowly. His gaze fell on Don Quixote, his eyes filled with appreciation:
"Gerald, a knight like Ser Don Quixote, who has both strength and chivalry...
"He is absolutely the best choice for us merchants to hire!"
"I just don't know if he'll accept our employment," another small merchant worried:
"He's not like those destitute knights desperate for money. I'm afraid it will be hard for us to offer enough pay to attract him!
"And the other three knights of the Bloody Hand Mercenary Company... aside from that Ser Tom, the other two freelance knights are just average.
"There are plenty of freelance knights like them in White Harbor."
Rodney smiled, his tone certain:
"Don't worry. Since Ser Don Quixote was willing to host this tourney, I'm afraid his ambition is not small!
"Perhaps very soon, a famous mercenary company will appear right here in White Harbor, just like the Golden Company or the Windblown of Essos!
"If a powerful, trustworthy, and honorable mercenary company can emerge in White Harbor, I would be willing to hire knights from that company!"
At this point, Rodney sighed:
"Alas, nowadays, every time I go out to transport goods, finding suitable knights has become a headache!
"Those freelance knights in White Harbor all claim they can fight three men at once and shout their loyalty to me!
"But when a crisis actually hits, heh, they're all incredibly weak, even less reliable than the guards I trained myself.
"There are even some despicable scoundrels who flee in the face of battle!"
Hearing this, the sworn knight of the White Harbor City Watch, surrounded by merchants, suddenly said coldly:
"Rodney, do you remember those bastards who fled battle without a shred of knightly honor?
"Tell me, and I will report it to the Earl.
"The Earl will surely strip them of their knighthood and confiscate all their property!
"Even hang or behead them!"
Rodney narrowed his eyes, turned to the sworn knight, and smiled respectfully:
"Ser Jeremy, it was my negligence. I didn't investigate their true background before hiring them.
"I only found out afterward that the information they gave me was fake. It would be hard for me to provide any useful information now!"
This was, of course, not the truth.
As a merchant who had suffered losses many times, Rodney had long learned to be cautious.
In Westeros, for a hired knight to lose his knighthood meant losing almost everything.
Such men easily became outlaws, became robber knights!
Some small merchants naively thought that as long as they reported these people's information and situation to the relevant lord...
The lord would avenge them.
The result was that many small merchants did indeed breathe their last breath of vengeance.
Robber knights were considered public enemies by all lords and knights. Once caught, they were certain to die, and often in gruesome ways.
But they had to be caught first!
The number of robber knights in Westeros was extremely high.
This proved that if a robber knight wanted to flee, it would be very difficult to catch him without expending great effort.
And lords wouldn't spend vast resources hunting down a long-gone sellsword for the sake of small merchants.
At most, they would publicly strip the sellsword of his knighthood and maybe send ravens to inform neighboring lords.
But that was usually the extent of it, and in the end, the ones who suffered were the small merchants who reported to the lord.
They gained a hidden enemy.
A desperate outlaw with nowhere to go, rejected by the world.
Those small merchants were easily assassinated.
Rodney had heard of such things many times and had personally experienced several assassination attempts that nearly claimed his life.
So he had long learned to turn a blind eye.
That was why he was so troubled about hiring suitable freelance knights.
Hired knights and robber knights were two sides of the same blade!
One moment of carelessness, and you might spend money to buy yourself an enemy.
————
Hearing this, Ser Jeremy was somewhat dissatisfied.
He knew what these people were like!
Hardly a word of truth came out of their mouths.
What a bunch of bastards!
They were practically condoning knights breaking their vows and corrupting knightly honor!
Ser Jeremy cursed inwardly, but still unwilling to give up, he said:
"Rodney, do you remember their faces? You could ask an artist to draw them."
As a sworn knight of House Manderly, knighted by Earl Wyman himself!
This was the highlight of his life, his greatest pride!
Ser Jeremy couldn't stand seeing knights violate their vows or break their employment contracts.
To him, it was like tarnishing his own reputation!
He wouldn't allow it!
Rodney pretended to think for a long while, then finally said slowly and helplessly:
"Ser Jeremy, those things happened too long ago, and they aren't pleasant memories.
"I rarely think back on them, and I can't recall the ugly faces of those despicable men now!"
Ser Jeremy snorted coldly and didn't ask further.
He knew these merchants well; continuing to pester him would be a waste of effort.
Instead, it would make him a spectacle for those around him.
Thinking of this, Ser Jeremy looked around.
Sure enough, he saw many merchants who had been watching the melee now looking at him with curiosity.
In the arena, the chaos was intensifying.
Seven knights had already been knocked to the ground, forced to surrender, and were helped off the field by squires.
Gerald watched the increasingly fierce battle while whispering to Rodney:
"Some people only talk about honor but never put any effort into upholding it.
"In the end, it's people like us who suffer."
At this point, Gerald leaned close to Rodney's ear and couldn't help complaining:
"I heard that last time, a silversmith merchant reported a hired knight for fleeing battle.
"And the result? That cancer, declared a robber knight, strutted into White Harbor, assassinated the silversmith, and escaped successfully!
"Sigh, this world feels like it's getting more and more chaotic!
"Not only is there more chaos, but people's character is getting worse too.
"It's hard to find anyone who earnestly keeps even the most basic contractual promises!"
...